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Dr. Ernie Clintberg’s membership status with the Alberta Teachers’ Association will be elevated to that of the highest level—Honorary Member—during a presentation at this year’s Annual Representative Assembly.
Clintberg is a worthy recipient of the honorary membership; his accomplishments are many—he taught school and served as a principal; he was an ATA school representative and served as president of his local; he obtained a doctorate in education and he moved through the ranks of ATA executive staff, eventually serving as coordinator, Teacher Welfare and, most recently, as ATA associate executive secretary.
Prior to joining ATA staff in May 2000, Clintberg spent 22 of his 25 years in the teaching profession working as a school administrator in Parkland School Division No. 70, where he was assistant principal at Kitaskinaw School, principal at Muir Lake Community School and principal at High Park School. During that period, he was involved in ATA activities, culminating with serving as president of Parkland Teachers’ Local No. 10.
Clintberg joined the Association as an executive staff officer in the Member Services program area and worked in the Southern Alberta Regional Office (SARO) located in Calgary. In 2003, Clintberg moved from SARO to Barnett House, in Edmonton, to a new assignment in the Teacher Welfare (TW) program area. Two years later, he was appointed coordinator of Teacher Welfare. While in TW, Clintberg also served as secretary to the ATA’s three disciplinary committees until July 2008. In October 2008, Clintberg was appointed associate executive secretary, a role that carried responsibility for the Government program area of the Association.
Although Clintberg’s contributions to the profession are many, it would be difficult to top his extraordinary efforts as coordinator, Teacher Welfare, in securing the historic five-year agreement between the ATA and the provincial government in 2007. The negotiated labour peace and $2.1 billion to wipe out the teachers’ portion of the unfunded pension liability were contingent on 62 collective agreements being ratified in 42 working days. It was an uphill climb for TW, to say the least, but Clintberg successfully led the charge to the summit and the rest is history.
Honorary membership, the Association’s highest award, is reserved for members of the Association or other persons who have given meritorious service to the teaching profession or to the advancement of education.
